Key result
Among African American adults in Southwest Mississippi, the prevalence of hypertension was 35.2%, with lack of exercise, access to a personal doctor, and gender identified as significant determinants.
Why the study?
Hypertension remains a devastating disease with high prevalence among African American communities in Mississippi, motivating an assessment of its prevalence and determinants in this population.
Cross-Sectional (n=497)
Despite improved access to health insurance and increased awareness, hypertension prevalence remains high among African American adults in Southwest Mississippi, with lack of exercise, gender, and access to a personal doctor being significant determinants.
Hypertension prevalence remains high among African American adults in Southwest Mississippi; hypothesis-generating for targeted determinants but requires prospective studies before informing practice.
Hypertension remains a devastating disease with high prevalence within African Americans (AA) communities in the state of Mississippi. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence and determinants of hypertension among AA adults using secondary data from churches, soup kitchens, and health fairs in Vicksburg, Mississippi. The study was cross-sectional with a sample of 497 (67.8% females, and 32.2% males) AA adults. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to characterize the sample population. Chi-square test was used to determine the relationships between hypertension and age, gender, income, education, fruits and vegetable consumption (FVC), physical activity (PA), and health insurance. Adults with hypertension among this group were 35.2%, 39.0% had Pre-hypertension while 24.5% had normotensive rate. Significant (P<.05) associations existed between exercise, availability of personal doctors, and gender with hypertension while age, education, income, health insurance, FVC, and awareness of hypertension were not significant (P>.05). Only 11.0% of the participants consumed the recommended amount of daily fruits and vegetables, while 55% did not exercise. This study showed that variables such as Exercise, Access to a Personal Doctor and Gender were all determinants for hypertension, also among this group, daily fruit/vegetable intake and physical activity were below recommended levels for adult population. Despite improved access to health insurance and increased awareness of hypertension, the prevalence of hypertension continues to be high in this community. Increased health screening, built environment, lifestyle modifications will positively impact hypertension, health disparities, and provide development of health policies to reduce prevalence of hypertension for adult Mississippians.
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Ezekwe et al. (2020) conducted a cross-sectional in Hypertension (n=497). Among African American adults in Southwest Mississippi, the prevalence of hypertension was 35.2%, with lack of exercise, access to a personal doctor, and gender identified as significant determinants.
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